


who said something is better than nothing

by dreamingcicadas



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Everyone lives, Gen, OOC, hello fellow humans its been a while hasnt it, im a piece of shit, might be ooc??, no one dies, really ooc, really really soft ardyn, school murders my soul, warning, whole ardyn, whole some au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-19
Updated: 2017-10-19
Packaged: 2019-01-19 10:45:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12408858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamingcicadas/pseuds/dreamingcicadas
Summary: **spoilers for the entire game**An alternate timeline where Ardyn Izunia, Chancellor of Niflheim, didn’t exist.Only a man who decided to pass the time by feeding the strays around his dinky little tea-shop.( In which the Accursed decides to not do his job, and everyone is wondering what’s going on).





	who said something is better than nothing

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nickofhearts](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nickofhearts/gifts).



During the autumn months, the wildflowers and cactii bloomed in an array of purples and pinks in the arid climates of Leide that bordered the capital city of Lucis, Insomnia.  Though Leide was more of a travel- _ through _ destination rather than a travel- _ to _ one. 

Duscae was more engaging to tourists that longed for adventure in foreign countries; offering Chocobo ranches by the dozen or a sight of the meteor and the city of Lestallum powered by it. Why, you could explore the renowned pine barrens  where the legend of the behemoth slept. Perhaps paying coin for an overpriced excursion to view historical sites was your fancy?

The woods were deep and dark, its vines and leaves covering ancient Solheim Ruins  _ begging _ to be rediscovered. If you were more of a thrifty shopper, there was even an added bonus of fines up to twenty-five thousand gil and even five years of jail time for trespassing. Such is the glory of the living--to enjoy it. 

News floated through the air from the radio, speak of political intrigue and what not. Would Lucis go to war with Niflheim? 

Ardyn really didn’t give a fuck about that.

Ardyn, the founder-king of Lucis, the Accursed, he who lived two-thousand years, sat in his tea-shop centuries after his reign unbeknownst to his descendants. It was a rainy day here in Insomnia which made for a perfect Earl Gray cup. 

“ Gods, you’re so hopeless.” It was one of his newest employees who had said that, Iris Amicitia, a sixteen year old noble who took on a small part time job despite coming from a family as famous as the Caelums themselves. She watched with crossed arms as Ardyn, with tea in hand, strode across the room to open up the backdoor for his _ guests _ that held no particular sentimentality for the rain like he did. 

A small black kitten wobbled into the shop, its entire body quivering as it squeaked out an indignant meow like if complaining to Ardyn would make the rain go away. Ardyn kneeled down to the little thing, cooing when it shook its entire body against his knee, leaving behind a wet spot on his pants. Then it wandered off in search of the bowl of food Ardyn usually left nearby. 

“ Hungry and cold,” Ardyn tsk’d, shaking his head. He walked outside into the torrential downpour despite wearing a high-line silk shirt and inspected the little cathouses he built, stacked like a beehive against the wall. “ Where is your brother, Nox?” 

“ Is Lux missing?” Iris asked. 

Ardyn walked back in, cradling a small, white kitten in his arms. Iris walked forward, nearly shoving her face into the thing that could have been mistaken for a large, used cotton ball, but stopped short of doing so. “ Is he okay?”

Ardyn set his lips into a fine line. “ I’m afraid he looks a bit sick, I shall take him to the vet.”

“ Should I just close up shop?” Iris said. No customers today, everyone would probably be holed up in their apartments or flats. 

“ No, it’s fine. I accept all kinds of strays,” Ardyn said, throwing on his jacket and wrapping Lux in one of his scarves. “ Watch over Nox, won’t you?” 

He tipped his head over to the black kitten still scarfing down kibble, and Iris nodded back to him, her young features set with determination. The same kind of vigor that reminded Ardyn of Gilgamesh, the first Shield, she would do her father proud. 

Ardyn put on his hat and he was off.

-

Ardyn did his best to sooth the quivering little thing , it nestled in his lap, like if  _ breathing _ itself was too much for it. There was not a need to entrap it in a carrier as the stress might have done more harm than good, Ardyn was a man of mercy, afterall. When he was called in, he followed the assistant into the room which smelled of various cleaning products and metals.

“ So can you tell me what happened before you noticed he got sick? ” The assistant said, clicking his pen. 

“ He’s a stray, I’m afraid,” Ardyn said. “ I give them some food in exchange for some company.” 

The black haired man chuckled. Ardyn caught his nametag-- _ Noctis _ \--which was the  _ Prince’s _ name if he recalled. Though, again, what matter did it concern Ardyn? 

“ Well, atleast he got neutered,” Noct said. 

Ardyn quirked a brow, “ And how do you know of that?” 

Noct  _ blushed,  _ fumbling his fingers to point at where Lux’s ear was clipped at the tip. “ Most ferals or strays have an ear clipped if they got fixed.”

“ A dismal life,” Ardyn commented. 

“ Um, yea,” Noctis said. “ The vet should be in with you shortly.”

And like that, the Kingdom of Lucis’ Royal Prince left with a sheet of red masking his face. Ardyn yawned, perhaps in another life he would have cared, perhaps in another life. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Lux gave a single mew to his brother when he was deposited back in Ardyn’s teashop. The two kittens touched noses before they scampered off somewhere concentrated near the food bowl. Iris watched as he rolled up his sleeves, armed with hammer and nail and proceeded to build cat towers and shelves.
> 
> “ It seems I’ve adopted these two,” Ardyn only said, before continuing his work. Iris giggled as the kittens chased eachother around her shoes. “ Lux is on antibiotics.”
> 
> “ Wouldn’t this be a health concern?” Iris said.
> 
> Ardyn merely shrugged and measured the dimensions to build a paw-print bed into the windowsill.


End file.
